In Kentucky, Governor Beshear’s Effort to Embolden China and Weaken Our Food Security Overturned by State Legislators
Key Takeaways:
The Kentucky House and Senate recently passed legislation to protect key supply chains for American farmers and reduce our dependence on China.
Governor Andy Beshear (D) vetoed the bill this week in an effort to appease environmentalists like the Sierra Club.
Senate Bill 199 would limit lawsuits against herbicides and pesticides produced by American manufacturers that have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The bill would help protect Kentucky farmers’ access to crop protection materials and make America less reliant on China for crop protection tools.
If frivolous lawsuits against EPA-approved fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides were allowed to continue it would send our farmers to Chinese products.
Fortunately, the Senate and House voted to override Gov. Beshear’s veto and the bill will become law. This move is a lifesaver for Kentucky farmers, and ultimately protects our food supply from China.
The soft-on-China stance Beshear took this week could come back to bite him if he officially runs for president given he has focused his shadow campaign on his electability.
Protecting American Farmer Independence from China
Farmers across the country – and especially in agricultural states like Kentucky – depend on tools like fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides to protect their crops and grow enough food to feed the world. Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has demonstrated that the United States still depends too much on foreign countries to supply these important agricultural tools.
China is one of America’s biggest adversaries. They are also a growing player in the global herbicide market. For instance, China controls 60% of the world’s supply of glyphosate, which is a chemical that is key to herbicide production. The production and acquisition of glyphosate is so important to food supply chains and national security that President Trump recently named it a national defense priority.
Even though these are regularly reviewed by scientists and were approved by the EPA in 2020, radical environmentalists are committed to stopping the use of any chemical products to protect domestic farm production. Unfortunately, if these environmentalists have their way, America’s farmers will be unable to feed our population, much less the world. State legislation like SB 199 protects domestic agriculture supply chains from frivolous environmental lawsuits that would make American farmers depend on China.
Governor Beshear Turned His Back on Kentucky Farmers
Governor Beshear ignored calls from Kentucky farmers for the protections afforded by SB 199 and vetoed the bill and put key agricultural resources at risk. Senate Bill 199 was widely supported by the farming and agricultural communities in Kentucky. Below is a list of agricultural groups that supported passage of SB 199 before the Governor vetoed it at the behest of environmentalists.
Groups Supporting SB 199 Before Governor Beshear’s Veto:
Kentucky Farm Bureau
Kentucky Soybean Association
Kentucky Corn Growers’ Association
Kentucky Small Grain Growers’ Association
Kentucky Forest Industry Association
Kentucky Woodland Owners Association
Kentucky Retail Federation
AgriBusiness Association of Kentucky
Kentucky Burley and Dark Tobacco Producers Association
Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association
Kentucky Dairy Development Council
Kentucky Pork Producers Association
Kentucky Poultry Federation
Southern Crop Production Association
Governor Beshear simply ignored all of these important farm advocates in his state in order to appease his liberal, environmentalist left flank. He may have done so cynically knowing that his veto would eventually be overridden by Republicans in the State House. It is distressing, however, to see that the Governor would so willingly risk the fate of farmers in his state and make America dependent on our adversaries in China. The soft-on-China stance Beshear took this week could come back to bite him if he officially runs for president given he has focused his shadow campaign on his electability.